Fire On Fire [TK]

(8) Stare at each other

"We were young, posters on the wall
Praying we're the ones that the teacher wouldn't call
We would stare at each other
'Cause we were always in trouble'

❀

— V —

When May came, the streets of Seoul came back to life. The birds chirped, and the flowers came out of their slumber, the air full of sunny scents. Spring was in full bloom.

Taehyung sat on a bicycle, pedalling swiftly, the wheels whirring against the concrete.

"Are you racing me, hyung?" Jeongguk queried beside him.

"Not at all," Taehyung scoffed. "Who dare race, Mister perfect?"

"It looks like you are," Jeongguk laughed, his voice getting carried with the soft breeze.

"He isn't, but I am," Seokjin came up behind them. "And you're losing quite spectacularly, Jeonggukshi." He flew by them.

Jeongguk pedalled faster, following Jin.

In the past few months, since Jeongguk had decided to hijack his bed, Taehyung had a few... revelations.

He realised he never had any nightmares when the snorning lanky kid slept beside him, making the covers too hot with his body heat.

Ugh, he radiated heat like a slab of burning coal.

He realised the said lanky kid smelled delightfully of oranges.

Fresh, citrus-y, sweet oranges.

He also realised Jeongguk leaked euphoria.

There was no other way Taehyung could describe it.

Being next to him was a special kind of relief, a sort of stillness, an ease that made Taehyung's body after copious amounts of practices feel just a little less like it was falling apart. Being in the same room as Jeongguk for a few hours became enough for Taehyung's skin to feel less prickly, but sleeping beside Jeongguk, shoulders practically touching as they fell asleep on the bed or on the floor, side by side, or watching a movie, fingers brushing occasionally gave Taehyung an ecstasy induced high.

Because Taehyung was getting greedy.

If a few hours spent beside Jeongguk were enough to give Taehyung good night's sleep, an entire day in close proximity could surely extend that. And now, he often found himself thinking what would happen if he touched Jeongguk for a while.

Not like that, obviously.

Not with a purpose or anything. Nothing untoward. Just... sustained contact. The accidental brush of their skin was pleasurable enough, but when Taehyung had his arm around the younger, or his head on his shoulder, it felt like crackling static over his skin, calmness seeping into his pores. Taehyung wondered what would happen if he just laid his palm on Jeongguk's hand and left it there. A collection of seconds. Minutes. An hour.

Would he hold it back?

He shook his head.

Why was thinking about holding his friend's hand?